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Session 5
Having gained their vengeance following the fall of Blaen, the Party rush to learn exactly what in the Maker's name has been going on. Learning of a shadow war between rogue Templars and hidden Mages, they soon realize that there is more at work in Thedas than they had originally anticipated. Returning to the party after a brief discussion towards compensation with Lady Melanie, a well-deserved and incredibly inebriated celebration follows. However, things were far from over. The real adventures were just beginning... Session Friend Or Foe Seeming to zone out after the melee, Kynedrin sat down by some casks of wine and ale, while the Party looted their newly-felled foes. Finding little of description outside of weapons and armour, "Ranger" ventured to the back of the room where some chests were located, while the rest approached the seemingly mage-aligned figures. Seeing their leader still struggling after his near-death blow, Saidra offered a healing hand, which seemed to return some energy to the figure. Asked what they did, he raised his hand to stop another from speaking, and introduced himself and his group. Throughout the course of the conversation, it was revealed that he belonged to a group known as the Elevated Brotherhood. A group of both mages and their non-mage allies, they seek freedom from chantry oversight and the ability to use magic if it is felt right to do so, not only when 'allowed' to do so. The hurting figure is quick to point out that they don't follow the supremacist stance of the Imperium, instead that if somebody has an innate magical ability, they should be allowed to use it and not be punished for it as those in the Circles often are. He revealed the background between Blaen and the Templar on the floor, named Ardal. Blaen had at some point been a chevalier who lost his name and wealth, only to suddenly re-emerge some time later out of nowhere with immense riches. This tipped off various figures to his presence, something Lady Melanie later shows to be what got her curious in the man, and when Ardal was seen moving in public with him it got the Brotherhood worried. For, the leader says, Ardal was a commander in the Purifiers. They are seemingly rogue Templars who have left the order due to finding their brothers-in-arms too soft in their treatment of mages. Seeing all magic as dangerous, they seek the destruction of magic and even those who simply show sympathies to those magically-attuned. The Purifiers and Brotherhood had been fighting for many years before the deal between Blaen and Ardal emerged, whereby the Purifiers looked to gain a supply of lyrium that would in some way give them an advantage over their rivals. The Brotherhood sought to prevent this, and thus the sequence that unfolded in the cellar happened. As this was going on, Vay began to peruse the chests in the cellar, soon determined to include one brought as payment by Ardal for the lyrium, and one brought by Blaen that carried the aforementioned lyrium. Still within its original box that his caravan had transported it in, Kynedrin snapped to life and quickly warned Vay away from it. As the Elf felt a throbbing in the back of his head, and eventually the sensation of something watching him, Kynedrin made sure that the cargo was undamaged. Having found it still in good repair, the various vials holding strong, he sat back on a nearby chair and began to contemplate his options. Asked by Vay what he intended to do next, and what they should do with the lyrium, he stated that he needed to take it back to the Carta. Revealing a part of his background, and how if nothing was returned the Carta would likely come after him or others that are still important to him back in Orzammar, he made it clear he needed to at least return the cargo, with there now being no supplier, buyer or coin with the result of the melee. As Vay headed over to the main conversation, introductions were made by the Brotherhood leader, revealed to be Calen. Asking for the identities of his newfound allies, "Ranger" revealed a part of his name to be Vay, while the others introduced themselves as well. The group offered him a hand in tracking down the remaining Purifiers, suggested that their paths and goals seemed aligned for the time being, but Calen kindly turns down their offer. With the death of Ardal and his entourage, it was likely that the Purifiers would go to ground when they don't return, and so the Brotherhood would watch carefully before making their next move. Asking to be informed if they ever needed help, Calen thanks them and says they would be in touch. While Kynedrin was listening in on the remainder of the conversation between the Party and the Brotherhood, and the later interjection of Lady Melanie, he kept to himself as he absent-mindedly rolled the necklaces of his brothers in his hand. When Vay later noticed and questioned him on the items, Kynedrin said this is what he also wanted to return below, as there was somebody who needed them after what happened. As the remainder of the Party asked him what he intended to do in the long term, he said he really had nothing else to do until he could return to Orzammar, to return those necklaces below and then possibly smooth over relations with the Carta properly. Offered a place in their group, he gladly accepted, not wanting to travel alone and somewhat enjoying the travels he has had with them since they rescued him in Halamshiral.. Payment And Information As the group finished up their conversation as to what they intended to do next, the entrance to the cellar opened. The sound of applause rang out, echoing off the walls as Lady Melanie de Sennoya entered, joyfully clapping. Thanking the Party for dealing with the nasties that now littered the floor, noting that it seemed they had had some fun, she also applauded them on not disturbing the party below. Immediately suspicious, the group questioned her on whether or not she knew the deal was going on and what it entailed. She revealed that she did indeed know the deal was going on, but held no affiliation outside of finding the figure of Blaen and Ardal of interest, and curiosities made her few years in her post interesting - suggesting her power was limited. The nature of Blaen to seemingly resurrect his public standing, and for Ardal to so brazenly profess his views and refute the Orlesian mask tradition, utterly intrigued her and she found them fascinating. She had hoped they would deal with each other, both suffering from paranoid tendencies, especially after the Party entered the fray, but the new turn with the Party doing the slaying pleased her greatly. Confused as to where the other party was, as the group noticed the Brotherhood had vanished once more and Saidra rapidly scribbled notes to do with magic she sensed, she recommended the group return upstairs to celebrate some more. She did, however, request some compensation. As Vay jumped the gun and asked her what she wanted, she said a cut of half the gold brought by Ardal, due to her needing to clean up the bodies of the massacre and the group committing murder on her property. Grimacing but accepted that it was a true statement, Vay haggled for a 40% cut instead, revealing that there was in fact 10 gold hidden within the chest from Ardal. Trying to slyly hand her 3 gold, she smiled and asked him not to take her for a fool, and so he handed the other gold over. Thanking the group once more, she said the magical words: free drinks. Before the group scurried up to enjoy themselves, she offered them some information. Her parley and research into Blaen had revealed numerous other smugglings rings of lyrium in nearby areas, and she brought up one being in Ostwick, in the Free Marches, that was of particular interest to her. Leaving the room, the group split the remaining 6 gold and eagerly ran upstairs. Return To The Party Saddened by the departure of the Tuba player from the music platform, the group headed immediately for the bar. On their way, they took stock of various details they had missed during their intense investigations and mingling from the hour or so before. A large portrait hung above the windows in the banquet hall-turned dancefloor, which showed Lady Melanie amongst other figures. A man and a woman, seemingly married, and a young boy, who couldn't have been more than a year or two old at the time of the painting. The seeming lack of these figures at the party was noted by the group. Alongside the familiar old lady that Vay had danced with before, they saw a man adorned in ceremonial armour, only the barest of fineries and not wearing a mask. The armour was covered in griffon-based details, revealing the man to be a member of the Grey Wardens. He was in deep conversation with three figures, seemingly of the same family due to resemblance. Two wore military garb, while the middle wore what appeared to be chantry robes. Heading to the bar, the group asked how drunk the group wished to get. Replying with "Very", the man chuckled to himself and created some form of beverage that he passed out to each member including Kynedrin. Everybody bar the Dwarf seemed to feel the pain of the first drink, but wanted to carry on. Roughly five rounds of drinks followed ,with Vay falling first, followed by Caspar and Balbus, before Saidra and Kynedrin were all that remained. Saidra almost lost her stomach with last round, but managed to pull through untouched with the actual last round, as Kynedrin's head hit the bar, his senses gone. Thoroughly enjoying themselves afterwards, a mixture of both celebration and inebriation, Caspar tried to led various figures in a drinking song. Nobody returned the fervour, but he carried on anyway. Vay and Saidra took to the dancefloor together, trying to dance but quickly falling over, Saidra almost falling on top of him as she staggered away. Finding a small alcove that had no occupants, she tactically threw up, not noticing some on her scarf. Asking for help from a passing servant girl, she was led to the kitchen, past the guard who had refused Vay entry beforehand; who was now thoroughly entertained by the drunken elf in front of him. Taken to the seeming Head Chef, a woman of strong build, Saidra began to take off the dress before the woman just grabbed the scarf and began to brush it clean as best she could. Ushered back out, she made her way to the Party again. Vay had tried to listen in on the conversation between the Warden and the three figures, only able to pick out basic elements of the conversation due to his drunken state. Hearing mentions of Warden Riordan, talks of how a cousin (suggested to be a she) was doing, and mentions of the Warden being on the look out for recruits, he deemed it enough and sat back. As the Party began to reform around the table, Kynedrin bought over mugs of water for them all, and offered up a toast. Thanking them sincerely for their help in his quest for vengeance, saving him back in Halamshiral, and putting up with his admittedly brackish ways earlier on in the night, he considered them all friends. Calling them 'Salroka', which he says to be a Dwarven phrase for "one by my side", they all toast to each other. Saying he hopes their paths cross again, he offers up another drink from the water, which the group finishes. Being thoroughly drunk at this point, they all choose to head back to Lady Aveline's to rest the night, Vay deciding to put off meeting the Tuba Player from earlier on until he was sober. As Caspar carried Saidra back, with Saidra calling him "Cassie", and Balbus supported Vay, Kynedrin disappeared - seemingly to meet his Carta contacts he had mentioned earlier. Entering Aveline's, much to the bemusement of the tired doorman, they head into the room opposite from where they had received their fineries, passing out on various pieces of furniture. Caspar took the bed, Balbus took the floor, as did Vay, and Saidra flopped onto one of the chaise-longues. The Morning After Waking up in varying states of health, with the two Mages seeming to not suffer from any form of hangover, the Party made their best attempts at starting their days. Vay had fallen asleep on Balbus, while Saidra woke up to the stench of sick upon her robes. As Saidra made her way downstairs, she was greeted by Lady Aveline, who jovially said hello before relaying that the doorman had suggested they had thoroughly enjoyed their night. Asking on the state of her robes, Saidra apologized deeply for the sullying of her robes, and the fact that Caspar's had suffered the tear of battle. Her mood dipping, she acquiesced that she didn't expect everything back, but the loss of half her investment didn't please her. Upon asking what could be done, she responded that a payment of 50 silver would suffice for lost materials. Had it only been one item she would have been okay, but two was pushing her kindness. Hearing the conversation, Vay stumbled out and handed her his robes. Sensing his continuing drunkenness, she suggested he sit down. He immediately complied, collapsing to the floor and hitting his head, knocking himself back asleep. Saying that there was food downstairs, Aveline then headed back to her regular duties, and the Party eventually made their way downstairs for a good old hangover cure. Chowing away, she then rejoined them asking what they had intended to do now that they had presumably accomplished what they had come to do. Hearing varying responses, she suggested that at the least checking Chantry Boards might help them with at least the immediate future. Balbus piped up, and said that he desired a day of relaxation after his last few days on edge, and headed towards the nearest bathhouse he could find, bidding the party a brief farewell. Caspar and Vay agreed to check the Chantry Board, while Saidra stated her desire to return to the White Spire once they had done that. Returning to the spot where they had initially met Caspar, they perused the various notices and bounties stuck to the board. Numerous ones were for small issues, such as a missing pet, or stolen goods, but a few were still in Orlesian. Trying his best to decipher them, he was able to hear mentions of a Mad Emperor's Ruins, and a Judicael Library, said to be the resting place of artifacts and forgotten knowledge. Deciding it best to have a local read them, the party drew the attention of a passing old woman, who agreed to do so. Looking over the ones in Orlesian, she revealed the they were two rather fascinating entries, although steeped in folk tales and myths of rulers passed. The Ruins were those of the 'Mad Emperor' Remille, said to speak to his mother's ghost for advice. He had allegedly even sought to calm his brother's ghost after brutally murdering his entire family down to his months-old granddaughter. She warned that while the whole ghost nonsense was likely hyperbole, the old abodes of Emperor's were often dangerous places. The second was an entry to the Judicael Library, with Emperor Judicael II Valmont being well known as a lover of all things arcane and mystical, and was rumoured to have hidden ancient relics and tomes in a private abode. His fascination with Elven lore in particular was a common derision amongst his detractors. Neither of these places were known however, or had been forgotten, and she apologized upon being asked for help in that regard. She then drew their attention to three other notices. One, was calling for the slaying of the 'Great White Bear' that had plagued the roads to Val Foret, having claimed multiple caravans over the recent weeks. Another bid somebody to deal with the 'Spiders of the Caverns', a recent infestation of spiders that had begun to encroach on the walls of the Capital, seemingly drawn to the arcane nature of the White Spire. In the last few weeks that had grown increasingly daring, crawling over the walls and entering the city at night. Another she mentioned was that of 'All-Seer' Miratha, which bade them to find out their friends hidden natures and be amazed. While she didn't take it seriously, she said it might be fun. The White Spire While Caspar and Vay ventured to find some training ground with which to help Vay grow used to his newly acquired Rapier, Saidra headed off in the direction of the White Spire. Fearing for a repeat of the first time she ventured towards the Templar stronghold, she was relieved to not see the man who so rudely sent her away before. While there were a noticeably high number of guards in the vicinity, the ones bearing the flaming eye on their armour, as well as those that carried twin swords on theirs, were vacant. Now there were just simple Templar guards. Approaching one that guarded the gate, a strongly built, dark-haired individual, she presented herself. Stating that she was on a mission from her Circle to search for weaknesses in the Fade, and thus wished to gain access to the library at the Spire. Handing over her Writ to prove her 'legal' status as a Circle Mage, the guard held his hand over it, seemingly sensing magic. Explaining that they have had a number of people try to masquerade as mages as well as apostates trying to seek entrance in recent weeks, he motioned for a guard to take his place. Relaying that she would need to get permission from the Enchanter or Knight-Commander due to recent events, he decided to escort her up to the Spire. Engaging in conversation as they climbed the stairs to the Spire, her gave his name as Ser Darien, and Saidra made note of the strong resemblance to both Lady de Sennoya and the statue of Ser Kordillus. He said that he was a cousin to the Lady via his father. Inquiring as to whether he was thus meant to have inherited the 'seat' as it were, he explained that he was actually Ser Kordillus' son via a dalliance her had during his adventuring years. Having fled from his home prior to his father's passing, Ser Kordillus had surrendered all inheritance in doing so. While he suggested he would perhaps enjoy the power, he was glad to do his duty to the Spire, the Order and his people. Cresting the top of the stairs, they were greeted by the multi-storey wood and metal doors to the Spire. Creaking slowly open, they revealed a colossal atrium, with stairs spiralling for many floors, several Templar guards on duty. Ahead of them was a clerk at a desk, parked in front of a similar, though smaller, pair of large wooden doors that suggested a living area of some kind. Being beckoned up the stairs by Ser Darien, she was taken to meet the First Enchanter. As his guards opened the doors to his office, she was greeted by an elderly and somewhat quizzical gentleman, who kindly introduced himself as First Enchanter Albredon. As she explained her reasons for being there, including a revelation that drew a "oh, that is concerning" reaction, that both her Knight-Commander and First Enchanter had sent her, he agreed to give her permission to peruse the library. Giving her a slip of paper that he passed his hand over, he jovially asked if she was any good at puzzles and ciphers. As she confusedly responded with mild agreement, he revealed he liked to test all of his apprentices and visitors, and that the paper should be a fun one to do as she reads. He also warned her away from wandering the Spire outside of the first few floors, as many mages had gone missing in recent times, some seemingly unable to handle the fears and pressures of Circle life. Due to this, the Templars had ramped up security, hoping to curtail the deaths and make sure it wasn't outside interference. He beckoned Darien to take her back to the library, and upon entering through the doors, she saw the largest collection of arcane knowledge outside of Minrathous. Floors, upon floors, upon floors of bookcases lined the inside of the Spire, with walkways and stairs lining the walls in front of these bookcases. Asking the librarian, Terrick, about certain tomes, he pointed her over to the sections on Fade Weaknesses, with her also spotting books on Legendary Demons, and Unknown Abominations - including a large tome on something called the Towers Incursion. Before she headed over, she inquired as to the meaning of the paper she was handed. Glancing over it, Terrick called over his Tranquil aide, Larien, who promptly deciphered it with a magical flair. Handing it back to her without a second glance, she was greeted with a grim message. "Please go to Ostwick. For days we've seen ebbing phylacteries in the vaults. Most in Kirkwall, and that of the First Enchanter in Ostwick. Hopefully it is nothing, but there are rumblings in the Free Marches, and I fear for his life. As I sense you are headed there already, I hope you will do this for us. A favour in the Spire can go a long way." Not showing a reaction to her observers, she headed towards the books that she wanted. Learning of several listed weaknesses across Thedas, she learned that the veil was often at its weakest in places of great sorrow and loss of life. Mentions of the Sundermount in Kirkwall, where allegedly the final battle between the Elvhen Empire and the Imperium took place, the Blasted Hills near Andoral's Reach, the Exalted Plains of the Dales, the Abyssal Rift, and both Antiva and Nevarra City, were just few of the places she learned. Noting these down, and having spent a long time studying these, she went back to Larien, making sure to see him alone. Subtly saying she would try her best to follow the First Enchanter's request, she headed back towards Lady Aveline's. While she had been gone, Caspar and Vay had been rejoined by Kynedrin in the training grounds. Unable, or simply unwilling, to hold back his strength during his swings, Caspar almost immediately knocked out Vay with a blunt clap of his blade to Vay's forehead. Collapsing to the ground, both in reactionary pain and a throbbing headache returning from his hangover, he was relieved to see their Dwarven ally step up to Caspar instead. Over the next few sparring bouts, Kynedrin held up very well, even nearly disarming Caspar. As this carried on, the group conversed about the Board notices they had discovered earlier, and asked if Kynedrin had succeeded. Replying with a short yes, he said that he hadn't however parted with the necklaces, wishing to do it in person instead. When the party reunited, still sans Balbus, Saidra relayed what she had learnt to her allies. Saying that with this knowledge and the suggestion from Lady Melanie earlier it seems that Ostwick should be their next city to travel to, Kynedrin asked to see the paper. Upon reading the exact warning, he relayed his fears to Saidra. Normally this would be concerning anyway, with fading and pulsing phylacteries never being good for the owner of that vial, but with evidence of a lyrium ring in the region as well, it was deeply worrisome. Saidra agreed, suggesting that perhaps they had stumbled upon something greater at work. Deciding that for now, they would attend to the immediate matters around Val Royeaux, the Party came to an agreement to deal with the magical spider infestation, as that just screamed intrigue. The Spider Hunt Heading back to Lady Aveline's estate for some lunch, the group makes their way out into the afternoon with the intention of saving the city folk from the encroaching spiders. Having received very little outside of a general direction earlier on, the group leaves the city through the western gate. Continuing on the path, before turning towards the mountain behind the White Spire, Vay took point for the group and sought cover amongst the tree line that covered the area outside of the walls. Over the course of roughly two hours, he notices that there is a disturbing lack of activity and noise, as well as a complete absence of tracks of any kind. Usually even just a small smattering of trees has wildlife flitting back and forth, rodents in the undergrowth and so forth. Here however, there was nothing except in the distance. Picking up on his distracted nature, Saidra noted how there was a general feeling of magic to the air, like tasting smoke on the wind. While they were close to the White Spire and its' innate magical presence, they hadn't felt something this strong when they had entered earlier. Vay stays wary, further seeing that the canopies of the treeline seem shattered at random intervals, as if something large and weighty had moved through the them. Entering a clearing before the cliffside, the party take stock of five separate cavern entrances that seem to form a honeycomb in the rock formation. Four were covered rather thickly and obstructively with webbing, while the centre, and largest, of the entrances seemed open and only lightly webbed. Kynedrin made it very clear to the party at this point that he wasn't fond of spiders, having mentioned it in passing earlier that he has encountered many during his early years down below. While there are worse things in the deep roads, a spider nest is never a good thing. Striking a torch alight, Caspar headed forward, flanked by Kynedrin, while Saidra carried the torch behind them and Vay kept an eye out for any movement as he nocked an arrow. A good 50 or so feet of tunnel later, their footsteps echoing profoundly with each step, the simplest sound announcing their presence, they note strange veins in the walls. Saidra grows wary, as the others also see a growing collection of bones and broken cocoons. With the webbing growing thicker the further into the nest they go, they almost miss the shifting nature of the tunnel, as architectural pillars are etched into the stonework, long since eroded and smoothed by the elements and whatever had made this tunnel its domain. The further they go, the Party seems smatterings of letters and words, illegible due to the passage of time, etched into the stonework. Floor tiles, walls, even elements of the ceiling of the tunnel bear the tell-tale signs of some script. Almost distracted by this reveal, the group suddenly enters an large opening within the tunnel, that reveals a huge rectangular cavern. While there is a definite end to the cavern itself, the roof disappears into darkness, the flickering flame of the torchlight failing to illuminate very much at all. Taking the torch around the room, the group sees a collection of 8 beings in poses, carved from some form of stone. Some appear distraught, one appears repentant, while another appears smug. A tribal woman appears proud, while a staff-bearing individual seems concerned, and an elven character wears the ragged clothes ascribed usually to the city folk. Deciding the try and get a better look at the cavern, Saidra lets loose with an Arcane Bolt towards the ceiling. The light is released from her staff, and carries on. And on. And on. As it peters out far above the, various shifting forms are illuminated, and loud, rapid clacks are heard from these beings. Silence, and a sudden thud sees the appearance of a gigantic spider, that seems to just exude fade-elements. Rubbing its mandibles together, it rears back and bellows a dark, chittering growl at the party. Already shocked by the size of this creature, they just notice four more slowly skittering down the side, each behind one of the statues. Chaos breaks out rather rapidly, as Vay and Kynedrin try to fell one of the smaller spiders, scoring glancing blows, as the apparent mother of the nest shoots a powerful web at Saidra, immobilizing her. Breaking her free, Caspar steps in front to protect her from anything further. What follows is a vicious encounter, with the spiders mostly intent on devouring Caspar, all four of the little ones clamouring for separate parts of him, one piercing his armour with its venomous fangs. As the teeth sank into his leg, he felt his energy rapidly disappear, the only power he could summon being that which he used to try and fell the beasts in front of him. Saidra manages to score some powerful blows against the Spider Queen, but is consistently immobilized by more webbing, at one point suffering numerous close quarters blows as the brood mother took to the walls. Luckily for the mage, she only scored a few glancing blows, tearing gashes down her arms. The Spiders also revealed they had jumping capabilities, with one almost pouncing upon Vay during the melee, causing everybody to be further on their guard. Vay struck that particular spider deeply in the, where as it tried to strike at the blade, it revealed a series of gnarled and non-arachnid teeth, seemingly mutated by the close proximity to the Spire, and the pulsing magical aura within the cave itself. Kynedrin somehow managed to rally consistently despite his phobia, joining Caspar on the frontlines and even scoring a kill, before freeing Saidra from a later web shot. Thus drawing the ire of the queen, he just managed to dodge a web cast of his own, before her gigantic form descended upon him. Wrapping her forelegs around his small form, which caused a terrified yell from the Dwarf, she sank her large fangs deeply between his shoulder blades. Attempting to devour him, his form disappearing beneath her monstrous one. The two battled back and forth, at one point aided by Vay after he somersaulted over one of the spiders. Just before it seemed like the Queen was going to strike again, Kynedrin was able to swing one last time, wedging his axe deep into her underbelly. Screeching in pain as her limbs shot out in shock, she struggled against the blade for a few moments before going limp. A cry of almost comedic horror was heard by the party as she collapsed on top of him. Over the course of the fight, Caspar had managed to slay 3 of the 4 that had descended the walls, while Vay informed the others that yet more spiders watched from above, seeing at least 6 from his vantage point. Caspar suffered many deep wounds in the melee, and had it not been for Saidra, it was likely he may have fallen for his valiant efforts. As the Queen fell, only one spider remained, which was quickly finished off in brutal fashion by the rest of the party. In a moment of terror, they see the corpse of the Queen Spider begin to move, before she just slumps to the side as Kynedrin pushes her off of his body, and he promptly and frantically begins to wipe off the various fluids of ichor, bile, webbing and other things from himself. Taking a brief pause after the fight to check for the other spiders, both Saidra and Vay make attempts to check for their audience. Seeing none, they warily recheck parts of the room. Lighting braziers on either side of the room, Caspar then draws their attention to the scripture at the end of the room, which the group had noticed before the Queen made her appearance. Reading "Turn those, who turned from her", the party recognizes different statues collectively. Vay recognizes the depiction of the Imperial, dubbed 'Black', Divine of the Imperium, as well as a depiction of the Archon Hessarian, who saved Andraste on the pyre with a mercy kill. Saidra recognizes the form of Shartan, the elven slave who led his kin in rebellion alongside Andraste, as well as that of Andraste's betrayer and husband, Maferath. Caspar recognizes the figures of Havard, who carried Andraste's ashes to Haven, and that of Javael, the Alamarri Chieftain who led part of Andraste's army. None can place the two other statues, one tall and heavily armoured, and another of a small figure, not really human, but not truly short enough to be a Dwarf to their knowledge. All collectively realizing these as the Disciples of Andraste, Saidra clocks that the phrase is a puzzle. Guiding Caspar to turn the statues of Maferath and the Black Divine, there is the sound of stone grinding upon stone. The wall at the back of the room slowly rises up to reveal another wall behind it, with a pulsating shape in the centre of it. Taking a few steps forward, her guard up for anything nasty, Saidra tries to ascertain the nature of it. Kynedrin rushes ahead, having finally calmed himself down, and asked her to halt. Calmly and carefully making his way forward, he places his hand on the object. Appearing to feel nothing, he removed it from the wall slowly, revealing it to be an octagonal runestone, bearing a form of Dwarven unknown to him, which he suggests is likely to be that of the Dwarven Runemakers themselves, which he only has a working knowledge of. This immediately raises some questions for him and some members of the party. This cavern appeared to be very old based on the fading stonework and writing. Not only that, but the appearance of a hidden Dwarven runestone amidst a seemingly Chantry-based puzzle centred on Andrastian worship made no sense to many of them. Now with more questions than answers yet again, he turned the rune over a few times. Wrapping it in cloth and carefully placing it in his backpack, seeking to protect the party from its potentially infectious nature, he then asks if they can leave already. Taking a moment to carve some pieces from the Spiders, with Vay carving the 'head' of the Spider that had revealed gnarled and mutated teeth, and Kynedrin taking the mandible of the Queen for himself, while the others took one part apiece from the others spiders for trophies and to earn their bounty reward. Kicking the Queen one last time for good luck, the party heads back towards the city. They are able to navigate their way back, with darkness rapidly descending upon them. The forest still feels unnaturally silent to them, quickening their already rapid pace. Upon re-entering the city, Caspar goes to hand in the bounty parts to the Chantry where the board had been located. Knocking on the door, he is greeted by the elderly form of the Revered Mother, who recoils in horror as he attempts to hand her the various spider pieces the party had collected. Explaining where they had discovered the cavern, having her note it down, he explains that the Queen had fallen, but there were more spiders within. He especially makes sure to explain that there were various Andrastian figures in the cavern, which immediately piques her interest. Taking his payment for the bounty, he then heads to the Formari Outpost the rest of the group had headed towards, the same one they had visited the day before. Handing over the harvested head, the tranquil shopkeep says it is deeply concerning, and that he will have to refer it on to the First Enchanter and Knight-Commander for further study. Kynedrin steps lightly forward and presents to him the rune, hoping he will have some form of knowledge that could help place it. The Tranquil's eyes grow wide, almost out of emotion if that had been possible, as he says it is very old even by his experience. The language is lost on him, and is definitively that of Dwarven make, causing the party to be further puzzled. The mention of where it was, and the company it kept - of Spiders and Andrastian statues - leads him to gamble that the stone is hundreds of years old at least, perhaps dating back to the Schism between the Orlesian and the Imperial Chantry. While he would love to be of further use, he says that his knowledge and that of his fellows in the Spire is nowhere compared to the Dwarves, and suggest they take it to Orzammar if they can, though an inquest at the Spire would not go amiss. Happy, yet more concerned than ever, the group begin to make ready to leave, before Saidra asks after purchasing an enchanted staff. Explaining that he focused more on custom enchanting, Vay asks him to enchant his rapier over the course of the next day, in the most basic form that he can. All-Seer Miratha While he himself hadn't been present, Kynedrin remembers a mention from the other party members of an advert for an 'All-Seer' that could reveal your friends hidden secrets, akin to a circus fortune teller. As they finished their business with the formari, he pipes up with it as a suggestion for their next destination. Tiring of the increasing strangeness and growing intrigue of the day, the party decided to return to Lady Aveline's before heading off for what they presumed would be a light-hearted and kooky experience before bed. While Vay and Saidra enquired as to how long they could stay at the estate and changed out of their armour into casual clothes, Kynedrin stashed away the runestone away from anybody's reach, hoping to lessen the risk of any accidental exposure. Having a strong bath and cleaning his leather of all the ichor, bile and what not that had dried over the course of the return journey, he then rejoins his Elven allies, Caspar instead electing to remain at the Estate, sharpening his weapons before heading to sleep. Navigating their way in the harshly darkening moonlight, the group enters the Royal Bazaar, seeing a selection of tents that appeared to range from crooked salesman to strongly-scented foods, before seeing one which bore the sign of 'All-Seer Miratha: Enter and finds the secrets you seek'. Automatically expecting a phony teller, the group notes how tacky and cliché the set up is, while a haggered old lady shuffles forward. Weathered in her features, and carrying a husky and crone-esque voice, she notes that Kynedrin will be an interesting challenge for her due to his Dwarven nature. Asking who she can help first, Saidra steps forward when nobody else seems to do so. Raising her hand, and holding the other over a patchwork collection of stones on the floor, her eyes shut and tense. Stating that there is much hidden about her, she instead focuses her energy around the stones. Seeming to do nothing but focus, a small flickering green flame began to appear inside the circle, seeming to take a form briefly before splintering back into a shaky flame. Looking back to Saidra, her eyes have gone entirely white, a deep and echoed voice now emanating from within. She offers and explanation on her ancestry, "one born in dark, but pressed by light. The other shines, but deep in night". Trying to dig deeper, she instantly snaps out of the trance, a look of concern and pain as she grasps her head, the echoed voice gone. Saidra presses her on, no longer underestimating the woman. While hesitant, she returns to her trance and speaks of something that watches Saidra, before forcibly severing the connection again, unwilling to risk anything further. She then turns to Vay, her eyes now a deep set black instead of white. Her voice echoes once more, saying he seeks "that which released you from your burden. Ever shifting and forever moving, deep, dark, hidden". While she is unable to offer anything more, due to the nature of spiritual communication, when asked by Vay for a location, she apologizes for the vagueness and says "Closer than you think". All eyes then turn to Kynedrin, who is utterly caught off-guard by the entire sequence so far. Not even sure whether she could read him, Miratha's eyes seem to flicker amongst various states before she begins to kneel. Placing her hand on one of the stones, she focuses before saying: "He lives. Far removed and forgotten, but he lives" before repeating "deep, dark" for him as well. She then notes that she senses there are usually more to their group, and tries to read what she can. Unable to pin down names, she makes mention of "one who seeks purpose, that which gave him purpose, and calm", the distance between her and her quarry too much to glean anything further. Focusing once more, she mentions the "one of the unrequited. Who seeks that which would make him his own. The time of his triumph is tainted and stained with red, and streaks the elements from its grasp. Far above, looking down" before snapping back to the present. Thoroughly confused, yet eager to discern what they can, the party leaves the tent after Miratha bade them to leave so she could rest, the whole ordeal taking a visual toll on her body. Asking whether they could return for more information in the future, she suggests none too soon, for she needs to recover considerably. Heading back to Aveline's, the three stroll in silence, trying to figure out the nature of what was just revealed... Category:Sessions Category:Chapter 1